Inflammation and infection Inflammation of the trachea is known as
tracheitis, usually due to an infection. It is usually caused by
viral infections, with bacterial infections occurring almost entirely in children. In patients who are in hospital, additional bacteria that may cause tracheitis include
Escherichia coli,
Klebsiella pneumoniae, and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It can be due to congenital causes, or due to things that develop after birth, such as compression from nearby masses or swelling, or trauma. can lead to
tracheal collapse, which often presents with a honking goose-like cough.
Injury The trachea may be injured by trauma such as in a vehicle accident, or intentionally by another willfully inflicting damage for example as practiced in some
martial arts.
Intubation Tracheal intubation refers to the insertion of a
tube down the trachea. This procedure is commonly performed during
surgery, in order to ensure a person receives enough oxygen when sedated. The catheter is connected to a machine that monitors the airflow, oxygenation and several other metrics. This is often one of the responsibilities of an
anaesthetist during surgery. In an emergency, or when tracheal intubation is deemed impossible, a
tracheotomy is often performed to insert a tube for ventilation, usually when needed for particular types of surgery to be carried out so that the airway can be kept open. The provision of the opening via a tracheotomy is called a
tracheostomy. Another method procedure can be carried, in an emergency situation, and this is a
cricothyrotomy.
Congenital disorders Tracheal agenesis is a rare
birth defect in which the trachea fails to develop. The defect is usually fatal though sometimes surgical intervention has been successful. A
tracheoesophageal fistula is a congenital defect in which the trachea and esophagus are abnormally connected (a ). This is because of abnormalities in the separation between the trachea and oesophagus during development. In adults, fistulas may occur because of erosion into the trachea from nearby malignant tumours, which erode into both the trachea and the oesophagus. Initially, these often result in coughing from swallowed contents of the oesophagus that are aspirated through the trachea, often progressing to fatal pneumonia; there is rarely a curative treatment. Sometimes as an
anatomical variation one or more of the tracheal rings are formed as complete rings, rather than horseshoe shaped rings. These
O rings are smaller than the normal C-shaped rings and can cause narrowing () of the trachea, resulting in breathing difficulties. An operation called a
slide tracheoplasty can open up the rings and rejoin them as wider rings, shortening the length of the trachea. Slide tracheoplasty is said to be the best option in treating tracheal stenosis.
Mounier-Kuhn syndrome is a rare congenital disorder of an abnormally enlarged trachea, characterised by absent elastic fibres, smooth muscle thinning, and a tendency to get recurrent respiratory tract infections.
Replacement From 2008, operations have experimentally replaced tracheas, with those grown from
stem cells, or with synthetic substitutes, however this is regarded as experimental and there is no standardised method. Difficulties with ensuring adequate blood supply to the replaced trachea is considered a major challenge to any replacement. Additionally, no evidence has been found to support the placement of stem cells taken from
bone marrow on the trachea as a way of stimulating tissue regeneration, and such a method remains hypothetical. ==Other animals==